For The Good of All of Us
by AndroidEvian
Summary: Sequel to "Adjustment's Judgement." Joe spends some time bonding with 004 and realises how much the team needs him when 003 falls more seriously ill from stress, and 003 learns that a resolve is necessary for her to help her team.


He remembered it. He remembered it so clearly. Jumping off the cliff in to the raging waves below on that stormy night. He remembered losing his breath and everything going black. The cliff he stood on now was so like the one from that day. He'd been spending an awful lot of time up there lately. He recognised the sound of footsteps behind him and turned to see 004, a friendly but somewhat concerned smile on his face.

"You're too young to look so remorseful. Take a walk with me through the neighbourhood." Joe smiled slightly at his teammate's words, agreeing and joining him as he began to walk the path that led into the city. It was a quiet day, leaves falling and wild tulips blooming from the ground. 004 lit a cigar, offering Joe a drag, who took one politely and exhaled it into the autumn air. Everything was so calm. 004 then spoke.

"So... how did you become the rogue cyborg before you met us?" he asked, kicking a pebble as they continued the stroll.

"I remember I woke up and was so confused... I just had this strong instinct telling me I had to get away from that place as soon as possible." the boy replied, looking skyward for more answers. "I knew they'd done something to me, so I tested just about every part of my body till I knew my abilities. I basically used my acceleration until I collapsed for about a day and ended up here. Some old lady had found me, taken pity on me, and took care of me til I woke. She let me do favours for her and her neighbours so I could support myself, and I was paying for the remainder of my school days before I'd been abducted." 004's face held the expression of someone who could understand this story too well.

"We're not so different then. I was born in Germany, in a time where there was no such thing as human rights, like being able to love who we want to love, and marry who we want to marry. So I had that same instinct you did, to get out of there as fast as possible and never look back... My love and I, Hilda, we were going to be married. But there was an accident, and she paid the price because of it. She's dead now." He lifted the chain with the engagement ring from underneath his clothes, staring at it with a rueful smile. "I'm so glad we can relate without it being because you went through the same thing I did. Don't let anyone take away the person you want to protect the most, 009." the older man concluded, laying a strong hand on Joe's shoulder. The boy smiled and nodded with determination, and 004 moved his hand to grip Joe's firmly as a promising shake. Together, they headed back to Koizumi's house, and Joe vowed to himself to try and be close to his team.

...

Joe and Albert entered the living room, surprised by the serious atmosphere created by their teammates and the doctors. Everyone was present but 003. _Oh no..._ Joe already had an idea of what might have happened to her. He rushed up to the medical room he'd once been in, 004 following him, calling "Wait!" Joe threw open the door to the place and looked at 003 in the hospital bed, sweating and only clothed by blankets and a thin white dress shirt. Her breathing was slow, cheeks flushed with fever. She looked so drained it was painful. He crossed over to her, watching her face twitch every few seconds in fitful sleep. Stress of being unable to fight, but sensing all threats had finally done a number on her.

"She won't be well for a few days... so we'll need to double up on patrol and search out anything that might come." Dr. Gilmore said from the doorway, having made his way up the stairs a minute after Joe entered the room.

"I understand, Dr. But I can't leave her side." he said, quietly.

"009, I know how you feel but that's simply out of the question! You're the most technologically advanced of all the cyborgs, if something happens we'll require your assistance!"

"You really think so, old man?" 002's voice came from the hall. "We've been doing just fine without him before he showed up."

"But, but 002!"

"Oh hush now, will you, Dr. Gilmore?" 007's voice joined in, the two men standing in the doorway with resolve on their faces. "002 is absolutely right, if we handled without him before, what makes you think we can't now?"

"I fully understand where you're coming from, but!"

"She stayed by him the whole time he was out, Doc. Let him return the favour." 002 said, ending the argument.

"Very well... you can stay until she opens her eyes, but only until then, 009. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dr. Gilmore." Joe said, nodding gratefully at the tired looking man.

"Take care of her, 009." the second cyborg instructed. "Come on, 007. We should get on patrol right now if we want to last til tomorrow."

"O-Of course!" the British man followed the American downstairs and there was the click of a few doors opening and closing until Joe heard the team's footsteps on the ground. _I'll be involved, I promised I'd try. Now more than ever, we're going to have to work as a team until 003 is better._ He took her burning hand in his, squeezing it slightly, and her expression eased as she subconsciously registered his gesture. _I won't be distant, anymore, I promise. I'll be apart of this team, Françoise._

...

He hadn't realised it, but he'd drifted off in his chair that morning, after some tending to Françoise; changing the cooling towel on her forehead, drying the sweat from her face, and helping Dr. Koizumi formulate a sort of anxiety medicine for her at a chemistry desk just beside her bed. As much as he hated anything that tampered with a body even more than it had already taken, he agreed it was a necessity that Françoise find a way to vent her frustration or take the medication. The forementioned girl was still asleep, unfortunately, but her temperature had dropped some from the raging 40 degree fever it had been at. It was now at 38 degrees celsius, the previously furious blush in her cheeks, now almost completely gone. Joe smiled with satisfaction seeing this, her breathing and everything else seeming much more balanced now. He laughed aloud quietly as he remembered a comment 007 had once made about her after another one of her bouts of passing out on the sofa.

"I thought you were fragile." He joked, standing up to change her cooling towel until he felt a hand on his.

"That's not funny..." the female cyborg whispered, but her smile was too genuine for her to pretend to be angry.

"I knew you were faking it for the past few minutes." the boy teased, sitting back down in the chair next to her.

"I wanted to know if you acted differently when no one was awake or around to watch you." Françoise explained.

"Aw, you didn't trust me? I'm hurt." Joe said, still smiling and glad that his friend was alright.

"Hush." she replied, a different blush colouring her cheeks. "Where is everyone?"

"They're out on patrol, they let me stay here with you because you did the same for me. A favour for a favour." her blush faded at his words. and her smile from before dropped slightly. "Don't worry. 004 and I had a father and son sort of talk earlier. I'm trying to trust you guys and be apart of this team. I really am, I promise." he squeezed her hand meaningfully, causing the smile to reappear on her face. It dropped yet again though, replaced with some alarm.

"Joe, get out of here!" she pushed him from the chair almost to the doorway as the wall to her right was smashed to pieces. An octopus like machine stood in front of the now ruined wall, its optic lights a dark red. Joe used his acceleration power, annihilating one of the cannons as it opened to shoot 003 in slow motion, with only his fists. He took his blaster from his pocket, ready to fire, at whatever opening it had. And he was suddenly crippled with a numbness spreading through his muscles and nerves, unable to move. He fell to the ground, his whole body unfeeling as the steel monster opened yet again with another turret, ready to fire. Crawling, the boy managed to lift himself enough to grab Françoise and pull her into his arms, his back to the robot. "Joe, it'll kill you..." she whispered, wishing she could do something to prevent this.

"I told you..." his voice was heavy with breath and the onset of paralysis. "I'm trying to be apart of this team. That means I'm going to protect you, no matter what, because you're my teammate." she wanted to cry hearing this as the laser materialised in the turret's opening. She shut her eyes, picking up the paralysed cyborg's weapon in her trembling, heated hands. _Why... why is this happening to us? Stop it... stop it._

 _"Stop it!"_ Françoise focused on the weakpoint of the machine and her finger snapped the trigger back on the weapon. The machine stopped dead in its tracks, optic lights flickering to blue before it hovered into the air and exploded in the sky. Her temperature didn't bother her anymore. The gun fell from her shaking hands. _The metal... it's so cold. Do you fire a gun without gloves so your heart becomes cold enough to do it...?_ She fell back on the cold floor with the paralysed Joe still holding her protectively.


End file.
